Two piece seating furniture construction



Oct. 7, 1969 o. KUHLMANN 3,471,199

TWO PIECE SEATING FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l z- I? u 25 2415 .21 9&5 INVENTOR:

OLAF- KUHLMANN ATTORNEYS Oct. 7, 1969 o. KUHLMANN 3,471,199 7 TWO PIECE SBAT ING'FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 24, 1967 v 2 Sheets-Sheet z 'OL P KUHLMANN Y I 9- INVENTORL;

' ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 297-418 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A seating furniture construction of synthetic foam wherein a two piece assembly of lower and upper monolithic bodies broadens the possibilities of design configuration variation.

Presently available synthetic materials, such as polystyrene, polyurethane, polyester and the like, permit the manufacture of plastic bodies such as furniture frames having relatively large size, and reinforcing means may be added to such bodies in order to obtain greater strength and stability of shape. Such reinforcement, embedded into a furniture frame, may additionally serve to connect the formed body with a fabricated structural base.

While synthetic materials of the type described have heretofore been employed in the manufacture of seating furniture constructions, the characteristics of the materials and the methods by which the materials necessarily must be worked have heretofore limited the possible design configurations available. In particular, the molds which are necessary to form plastic bodies such as furniture frames of relatively large size are quite expensive to produce, and may have only a relatively short productive life due to the fickleness of public taste in furniture design. Further, when a furniture frame is designed for manufacture as a single piece, as has been done heretofore, the design configuration most easily obtained is the nowfamiliar dish, with little ease of variation in design configuration.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction for seating furniture, such as chairs and the like, which will provide greater freedom of design and require a minimum capital outlay for molds, to thereby allow manufacturers to readily produce seating furniture of pleasing designs other than the so-called dish shape. In realizing this object of the present invention, the body of a seating furniture construction is produced as upper and lower monolithic bodies, shaped for nesting relation. The lower body is constructed of rigid polyurethane foam or other rigid elastomeric or plastomeric foam to define a well for receiving and supporting an occupant, while the upper body is constructed of deformable or non-deformable rigid polyurethane elastomeric or plastomeric foam or both and for attachment to the lower body. The upper body, in particular, may be readily adapted to different design configurations while being shaped for nesting relation with a lower body of common configuration.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of one form of seating furniture construction in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the seating fumiture construction of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the seating furniture construction of FIGURES 1 and 2, exploded to more clearly illustrate certain features thereof;

See

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, in section, taken generally along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, in section, taken generally along the line 55 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a second form of seating furniture construction in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 of the seating furniture construction of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 of the seating furniture construction of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 of the seating furniture construction of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 of the seating furniture construction of FIGURE 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, two forms of seating furniture construction in accordance with the present invention are there shown, in chair form, and the features of the present invention will be described with reference thereto. For purposes of facilitating the description, like portions of the two seating furniture constructions illustrated respectively in FIGURES 16 and 6-10 are identified by like numerals, with prime notation being employed for the second form shown in FIGURES 6-l0. While chair forms have been chosen for purposes of illustration, it is to be recognized at-the outset that this invention is also adaptable to multiple occupant seating furniture constructions, and that the choice of chair forms for illustration is not to be limiting.

The seating furniture construction of the present invention includes a chair body generally indicated at 11 and comprising a monolithic lower body 12 of synthetic foam material and a monolithic upper body 14 of synthetic foam material. The lower body 12 includes a generally horizontally extending base portion 15 defining an occupant leg supporting surface and prefably has smoothly blended side and back portions 16 extending upwardly from the base portion. Together, the base portion 15 and the side and back portions 16 of the monolithic lower body 12 define an occupant receiving well of predetermined con figuration which opens at least upwardly and forwardly. When the seating furniture construction is assembled and placed in use, the base portion supports the body of the occupant and the occupant receiving well defined by the monolithic lower body 12 receives and somewhat encircles the hip and thigh portion of the body of the occupant.

The monolithic upper body 14 includes side and back portions 18 of predetermined configuration generally corresponding in size and outline to the configuration of the base portion 15 and to the occupant receiving well defined by the monolithic lower body 12. This configuration of the monolithic upper body 14 is provided in order that the upper body 14 will be received by and nest with the lower body 12 when the upper body is superposed on the lower body. When the bodies are thus superposed, the side and back portions 18 of the upper body define occupant arm and back supporting surfaces adapted to be engaged by the arm and back of an occupant seated in the chair 11. The monolithic upper body 4 further has downwardly extending portions 19 depending from the side and back portions 18, for nesting within the monolithic lower body 12. The depending portions 19 of the upper body 14 are set inwardly from the main portion of the upper body to delne a ring shoulder surface 20 which rests upon the substantially planar upper surface 21 of the side and back portions 16 of the lower body 12 when the upper body 14 is superposed upon the lower body.

In order to provide sufficient structural integrity and rigidity to support an occupant in the chair 11, it is preferred that the monolithic lower body 12 be formed of a substantially rigid synthetic foam material which is not readily deformable. Further, the monolithic upper body 14 may be formed either of a rigid foam such as that employed for the lower body 12 or of aresilient foam which will provide structural integrity for the chair body and be deformable to provide a cushioning effect for an occupant of the chair. Preferably, in order to provide additional cushioning for an occupant of the chair, a separate cushion member 22 is positioned on the planar load sup porting surface of the lower body 12. Further, in order to provide additional support for the upper body 14, the depending portion 19 thereof has a height suflicient to extend downwardly into the occupant well defined by the lower body 12 and rest upon the upper surface of the cushion member 22.

In order to support the monolithic bodies 12 and 14 of the chair construction, support means such as a pedestal 24 is provided and secured to the lower body 12. Securement of the pedestal 24 to the lower body 12, and transfer of the loading forces involved, preferably is secured through the use of a reinforcing member 25 molded integrally within the mololithic body 12 (phantom lines in FIGURE 3). The pedestal member 24 is secured to the reinforcing member 25 and supports the monolithic bodies 12 and 14 of the chair 11 in position for use.

In order to assure that the monolithic bodies 12 and 14 are properly joined, and to prevent horizontal relative movement therebetween, this invention further contemplates the inclusion of a plurality of position locking key members 26 disposed in a corresponding plurality of pairs of vertically aligned pockets 28 formed in the opposing superposed surfaces of the monolithic bodies 12 and 14. Through the use of the locking key members 26, the necessary structural unity for the assembled chair construction is assured.

The design vertasility of the present invention is best understood by brief comparison of the two forms of chair constructions illustrated in the drawings. It will be noted that the lower monolithic body 12 of the second chair 11' (FIGURES 6-10) is substantially identical to the lower monolithic body 12 of the first chair 11 (FIGURES 1-5). Distinctions between the two chairs 11 and 11' may be noted in the manner in which the lower monolithic bodies 12 and 12' are supported, in that the second chair 11' provides four legs 30 located at the four corners of the lower monolithic body 12'. Additionally, distinctions in outline configuration ofthe upper monolithic bodies 14 and 14 may readily be noted in that the arm rest portions of the second chair 11' are turned outwardly beyond the underlying side portions of the lower monolithic body 12; and the back rest portion 18 rises substantially higher above the arm rest than is true in the more tub-like design configuration of the first chair 1. Thus, it is seen that a single lower body may readily be adapted to two distinctly different design appearance through the use of differently configured upper bodies. This versatility permits a saving in production costs in manufacture, as well as providing a designer with extended versatility in seeking desired design effects.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A seating furniture construction comprising:

a lower monolithic body of rigid foam material and including a generally horizontally extending base portion defining a load supporting surface, said lower body defining an occupant receiving portion of predetermined configuration opening at least upwardly and forwardly,

an upper monolithic body of foam material superposed on said lower body and defining occupant back and arm supporting surfaces, said upper body including side and back portions .of predetermined configuration generally corresponding in size and outline to said predetermined configuration of said occupant receiving portion and having extensions depending from said side and back portions and nesting with said occupant receiving portion of said lower body, and

a plurality of position locking key members extending between'and secured in said lower and upper bodies for securing said bodies against horizontal relative movement.

2. A seating furniture construction according to claim 1 wherein said monolithic upper body is of resilient foam which is deformable so as to form of said upper body an occupant cushion integral with the furniture construction.

3. A seating furniture construction according to claim 1 and further comprising:

supporting leg means for supporting said monolithic bodies for seating use, and

reinforcing means molded within said monolithic lower body and connected with said leg means for transferring force thereto from said foam.

4. A seating furniture construction comprising:

a lower monolithic body of rigid foam material and including a generally horizontally extending base portion defining a load supporting surface, said lower body defining an occupant receiving portion of predetermined configuration opening at least upwardly and forwardly,

an upper monolithic body of foam material superposed on said lower body and defining occupant back and arm supporting surfaces, said upper body including side and back portions of predetermined configuration generally corresponding in size and outline to said predetermined configuration of said occupant receiving portion and having extensions depending from said side and back portions and nesting with said occupant receiving portion of said lower body, and

means embedded in said upper and lower bodies for securing said bodies in superposed position and against horizontal relative movement.

5. A seating furniture construction comprising:

a lower monolithic body of rigid foam material and including a generally horizontally extending base portion defining a load supporting surface, said lower body defining an occupant receiving portion of predetermined configuration opening at least upwardly and forwardly, and

an open "bottomed upper monolithic body of foam material separable from and superposed on said lower body and defining occupant back and arm supporting surfaces for cooperation with said load supporting surface in supporting a seated occupant, said upper body including side and back portions of predetermined configuration generally corresponding in size and outline to said predetermined configuration of said occupant receiving portion and having extensions depending from said side and back portions for nesting with said occupant receiving portion of said lower body and defining an open bottom for said upper body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,055,708 9/1962 'Baermann 297-445 3,083,056 3/1963 Ward 297452 3,101,218 8/1963 Baermann 297455 3,175,863 3/1965 Hood 297-455 3,298,741 l/1967 Lepard et al 297-421 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 297445, 458 

